Students had gathered for college country night at Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks on Wednesday when shots rang out around 11 p.m. The event was for people 18 and over.

Sgt. Ron Helus, 54

While most of the victims are yet to be identified, Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean revealed one of the victims was a 29-year veteran of the force, Sgt. Ron Helus.

Pictured: Sergeant Ron Helus Handout

Before responding to the call, Helus had been on the phone to his wife, Dean said. Helus and a colleague from the California Highway Patrol arrived at the scene within three minutes of the first calls and entered the bar, said Dean. When he went inside the building Helus "was struck multiple times with gunfire," Dean said.

"He was hard-working, he was totally committed, he gave his all and, tonight, as I told his wife, he died a hero," Dean said at a press conference early Wednesday. "He gave his life to save other people."

Helus, 54, leaves behind a wife and a son. He was hoping to retire in the "next year or so," Dean added.

A procession to honor Helus is planned for 1 p.m. It will start at Los Robles Hospital and end at the Venture County Medical Examiner's Office, according to reports.

Cody Coffman, 22

Among the victims was Cody Coffman, his father confirmed to CBS Los Angeles on Thursday. The 22-year-old went to Borderline Bar & Grill every Wednesday to line dance, his dad said.

"We knew he was going there, to know he may not come home is another thing," Jason Coffman told the station.

As his son was leaving the house Wednesday night, Coffman told him not to drink and drive. "The last thing I said was, "Son, I love you,'" he added.

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After learning Alaina was among the victims, the couple released a statement.

"Our hearts are broken. We just learned that our niece Alaina was one of the victims of last night’s shooting at Borderline bar in Thousand Oaks," the statement said. "Alaina was an incredible young woman with so much life ahead of her and we are devastated that her life was cut short in this manner. We thank everyone for your prayers and ask for privacy at this time."

She was an English student in the top 10 percent of her class. She aspired to attend law school, but was passionate about music, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Justin Meek, 23

Justin Meek, who was working as a promoter at Borderline Bar & Grill, was also killed in Wednesday night's attack.

Hours before the shooting, he shared a flier advertising the college country night on his Instagram page, writing: "See y'all tonight!! Say Justin at the [door]."

The 23-year-old was a recent graduate of California Lutheran University, where he studied criminal justice. He "heroically saved lives in the incident," according to the university's president, Chris Kimball. Meek reportedly died as he protected Borderline patrons.

Another victim was Sean Adler, 48, a former coach for the Simi Valley High School wrestling team. He was a bouncer at the club and had just opened a coffee shop, a friend told The Los Angeles Times. He leaves behind a wife and two sons, ages 17 and 12.

“He was just as a very caring guy that was a lot of fun,” said Debbie Nieser, who had known him since childhood. “He was someone that went after his dreams, someone who was always trying to find his dreams, someone who connected with many different types of people.”

"Lost a great guy last night," read a post on the wrestling team's Twitter page. "I coached with Sean at Royal and you couldn't have met a nicer guy. I’m sure plenty of people will be touched by this horrific tragedy. Make sure to remember the families, first responders and those who were there. They need you. Be there for them."

Noel Sparks, 21

A talented dancer, Noel Sparks, 21, was identified as one of the victims by the United Methodist Church Westlake Village, of which she was a member.

Dan Manrique was a 33-year-old Marine Corps veteran who headed up the Ventura County chapter of the nonprofit Team Red, White & Blue, which confirmed his death late Thursday.

We are heartbroken to confirm that Dan Manrique, Pacific Regional PM and Marine Corps veteran, was one of the victims of the Borderline shooting. We are aware that other members of our Team RWB family were directly impacted by the events. We will provide updates as we learn more. pic.twitter.com/lXVQWVx6NV